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What are your favorite concerts?

posted 8 years ago by jefgg
9 replies | jump to latest

I have seen well over a hundred concerts. When people ask my favorites that is really hard to answer. There are several factors to consider. Was it one of my favorite acts or one that I merely liked? Were the seats first 20 rows or in the upper deck? Was it my first concert or my hundredth?

Best Concerts
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W.A.S.P. - Birch Hill - Old Bridge, NJ late '90s

The Cult - The Spectrum - Philadelphia 1990

King's X - The Ritz - New York City early '90s

The Smithereens - Stone Pony - Asbury Park, NJ early '90s

Prince - Nassau Coliseum - Uniondale, NY 1985

Weird Al Yankovic - Count Basie Theater - Red Bank, NJ late '90s

Honorable Mentions
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Paul McCartney - Madison Square Garden - New York City 1989
Lenny Kravitz - The Beacon Theater - New York City early '90s
Guns 'N Roses/Metallica - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ 1993
David Bowie - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ 1987
The Bangles - Rider College - Lawrenceville, NJ 1989
Ringo Starr & The All-Starr Band - Radio City Music Hall - New York City 1992
Elton John with George Michael, Lionel Richie and Bruce Hornsby Benefit Concert - Madison Square Garden - New York City early '90s
Jeffrey Gaines - Fastlane - Asbury Park, NJ 1992
Raging Slab - Connections - Clifton, NJ late '90s
New York Steel Benefit Show featuring Twisted Sister, Anthrax, Ace Frehley, Sebastian Bach and Overkill - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York City 2001

Worst Concert
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U2 - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ 1987

U2 played the same songs in the same order for almost every date of their Joshua Tree tour. The Edge played the same four chords. He had a horrible guitar sound with too much distortion. Bono pulled a fan out of the crowd to play guitar for one song. I thought the fan blew away The Edge.

I don't like stadium concerts. But if a band plays a stadium then video screens are a necessary evil. Back then U2 played stadiums without video screens. That was before their Zoo TV tour, when their concerts became elaborately staged multimedia events. It was as if U2 had admitted watching TV was more interesting than watching them play live. Bono is a pompous jerk. U2 are an overrated band who try to use interesting production of their albums to stay relevant.

I had heard that U2 were a great live band. I have no idea why. I think it was because for a lot of people who grew up in the 80s it was their first concert.

Worst Opening Acts
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Chris Isaak - Radio City Music Hall - New York City 1987
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam - Giants Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ 1987

Chris Isaak was more interested in shaking his tush and cracking jokes than making music. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were not a good live act and had no business opening a stadium show for David Bowie.

[–] jefgg 8 years ago

I refuse to see Creedence Clearwater Revisited on general principal. There is no CCR without John Fogerty. I feel the same way about Grand Funk Railroad without Mark Farner. And I felt the same way about The Doors of the 21st Century. The current incarnations of Thin Lizzy and Lynyrd Skynyrd are also very weak.